County of Memorial: Harper County
Location of Memorial: Broadway Ave. (US 283) & Main St. (OK 149), Laverne
Memorial erected by: Laverne Beautification Committee
Date memorial erected: July 4, 2006
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (2001-----)
(War Against Terrorism)
Sept. 11, 2001 changed the world with the terrorist attacks on World Trade Center, Pentagon and Pennsylvania. Congress quickly gave President George W. Bush authority to go after terrorist. Afghanistan, home of Taliban, who harbored terrorist was invaded in October 2001. U.S. forces then went into Afghanistan determined to remove the Taliban. This war became controversial with the [unreadable] subsequent U.S. intervention of military force in Iraq. Iraq, believed to have weapons of Mass Destruction, refused to obey U.N. requests for unfettered inspections. Knowing Iraq had gassed Kerds and civilians in the Iraq-Iran War, and the U.S. invaded being fearful of encountering WMD. Iraq soon conquered, but terrorist elements of Moslem fanatics, kept the conflict going to date, despite efforts to have Iraq become democratic regime. U.S. deaths to date total approximately 1,900.